San Francisco activists end live bird sales at Heart of the City Farmers'
Market

Activists' Efforts Result in Victory for Animals and Public Health

For over two years, local animal advocates Andrew Zollman and Alex
Felsingerhave led investigations and protests of live poultry sales at
San Francisco'sHeart of the City Farmers' Market�but starting next
month, the sales will bebanned.

Today the Heart of the City Farmers' Market announced on its website
http://hocfarmersmarket.org/News%20&%20Events.html that live bird
sales will no longer be allowed effective May 27, 2011. Both Raymond Young
Poultry and Bullfeathers Quail will no longer be welcomed at the market,
which is held Wednesdays and Sundays in San Francisco's UN Plaza.

The activists, organized under the name LGBT Compassion, congratulate the
market for finally deciding to make animal welfare and public health a
priority after nearly two decades of allowing the cruel practice. The
activists had urged market management and many government officials to stop
the blatant animal cruelty and public health risks, along with many other
violations of local, state and federal laws.

The market's manager has said that Raymond Young Poultry used to sell
over 1,000 factory-farmed birds twice weekly, and LGBT Compassion estimates
thatBullfeathers Quail bred and sold at least 350 birds each week at the
market. The change in policy will prevent the sale of over 100,000 live
animals for food every year.

The January lawsuit filed with the California Superior Court-San
Francisco by Felsinger and Zollman against both the Heart of the City
Farmers' Market and Raymond Young Poultry is still in progress. The lawsuit
addresses repeated violent attacks and civil rights violations suffered by
Zollman and Felsinger at the hands of market and vendor personnel.

The activists have had success protesting live animal sales at other
farmers' markets in the Bay Area. In September 2009, Zollman and other
activists successfully shut down New Long's Live Poultry, which had operated
in a parking lot near the Alemany Blvd. Farmers' Market.

More recently, live bird sales at the Old Oakland Farmers' Market were
bannedas a result of the activists' discussions with management.

The activists' efforts to stop similar violations at the Richmond, CA
farmers' market will now increase, as it is the last known Bay Area farmers'
market to continue to allow live bird sales. The market is currently under
investigation by Contra Costa Animal Services for animal cruelty. The
Richmond City Manager's office has so far refused to enforce laws and the
market's land use agreement, relying instead on other government agencies
for enforcement.

Investigations of the cruelty, health, and environmental problems
surround thesale of live animals for food at other stores and markets
will also be increased.

LGBT Compassion was founded by Andrew Zollman and Warren Jones, who have
long suffered oppression and threats of violence because of their minority
status, and continue to fight for their own rights. Zollman and Jones work
to inform the community of the parallels between oppression and abuse of
animals and certain groups of humans, as well as promote the animal welfare,
health and environmental benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

LGBT Compassion extends its deepest gratitude to nonprofit organizations
United Poultry Concerns, In Defense of Animals, Bay Area Vegetarians, Farm
Sanctuary, and other organizations and activists who provided important
support to the campaign. It also wishes to thank Harvest Home Animal
Sanctuary, San Francisco Animal Care and Control, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove
Rescue and Palo Alto Animal Services for re-homing birds rescued from these
and other live animal markets.